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Community

St. Vincent DePaul
This is a joint organization comprised of parishioners of both St. Matthew and Holy Cross churches. Members are dedicated to serving those less fortunate in the community. Service to local Catholics that reside in nursing homes as well as shut-ins, is a primary function. Additionally, through the support of parishioners and donors, the organization is able on a limited basis to assist local families as they work through challenging spiritual and economic times and conditions. Meetings are weekly at Holy Cross and two members are on call daily. (Mike Ducey, 359-1289; MichaelFDucey@duce.cc)

Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is a lay Catholic fraternal service organization. It is open to all Catholic men at least 18 years of age who are in communion with the Holy See. The four Principals of the Order are charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. A primary mission is to support local charities, one of them being Special Olympics. (Val Koble, 359-0996)

Serra Club
Men and women dedicated to promoting vocations, supporting priests and religious, and strengthening the members' own faith through prayer, fellowship and education. (John Radka, 355-1348, jradka1@insightbb.com; John Dahl, 359-4214)

SHARE
The St. Matthew SHARE Food Program is affiliated with the International SHARE Program. Through bulk purchasing and volunteer distribution, SHARE provides a monthly opportunity to purchase a food package valued at approximately $35 for only $18. Each purchaser agrees to perform two hours of community service as part of their participation in the program, thus enhancing the benefit of the program. Participants in the SHARE program have used it to stretch food budgets or have donated their food packages to local shelters. (Carol Miller, 355-8413, jmrckdbl@hotmail.com ; Kathy Ahearn, 356-3279; Kathy_Joe_Ahearn@msn.com)
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Respect Life
Through education, community involvement and prayer, the Respect Life Ministry promotes the message that all human life is sacred. Recent activities include “40 Days for Life,” the “National Life Chain,” candlelight services on January 22 and a “Celebration of Life” liturgy on the Feast of the Annunciation. (Mary Eppich, 352-4549; maryeppich@insightbb.com; Myrna Buyno, 352-1007)

4-H Club
Champaign Mixed Clovers 4-H Club serves boys and girls ages 8-18. The majority of this particular 4-H group are St. Matthew parishioners and have met at St. Matthew for over 25 years. Members can choose from a wide variety of projects in which to enroll including foods, photography, visual arts, etc. The 4-H Club sponsors community service projects as well. (Sue Stephenson 398-4892; s.stephenson@insightbb.com; Linda Thiele, 356-6845; thieleli@hotmail.com)
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Rainbows Program
This is a program of support and understanding for school age children whose lives have been affected by separation, divorce or death. Groups meet once a week for seven weeks of each semester. (Jan Weber, 359-4114; jweber@stmatt.net)

Church Women United
Church Women United is an ecumenical group of Christian women who meet three times a year to give witness to their faith in Jesus Christ. The group was started in the midst of World War II to pray for peace and the safe return of husbands, fathers and sons. Their purpose now is to strengthen the ecumenical movement and enable women to make their fullest contribution; to form an organized channel for speaking, acting, and setting goals on common issues; to develop relationships with other religious and secular organizations; and to celebrate together the reality and relevance of their faith on World Day of Prayer, May Fellowship Day and World Community Day. (Mary Lariviere, 356-7580; ml.lariv@sbcglobal.net)

Boy Scouts
St. Matthew Troop 121 serves to help boys mature to honorable men. They are given many opportunities to learn leadership skills within the troop, enjoy accomplishments in outdoor adventures and appreciate recognition as they advance in rank. The Troop meets weekly. (Paul Lang, 359-8627; pjlang121@sbcglobal.net)

Cub Scouts
Cub Scout Pack 121 is a year-round family program designed for St. Matthew (and Carrie Busey) boys in Grades 1-5 (ages 7-10). Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to influence character building, good sportsmanship, greater family understanding and personal achievement. Cub Scouts do fun things with other kids! They go places and see things. They play sports. And, they build things, like race cars and bird houses. (Bob Plankenhorn, 398-5078, rplanken@uillinois.edu )

Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts is open to all K-12 girls who are members of St. Matthew Parish or attend St. Matthew School. Meetings times vary by troop. The four goals are for each girl :1) to become the very best person she can be; 2) to respect other people; 3) to build her own set of values; and 4) to build leadership skills. (Cindy Brya, 351-1759, brya@illinois.edu)